In 2006, two friends amassed all their fundsand savings to start a travel boutique. But little did they know that it would go on to become one of the UAE’s leading destination management companies, Rayna Tours and Travels. Every success story is powered by its founders’ courage and determination to explore or tread the route less taken, and Rayna Tours’ story is no exception. Experience it as you continue reading this post on Rayna Tours’ inspiring entrepreneurial journey.
ABOUT RAYNA TOURS AND TRAVELS
Rayna Tours and Travels is a Dubai-based travel management company that has its location in different parts of the world. With its extensive resources and exceptional industry tie-ups, it takes care of every minute aspect of travel planning and execution, from visa services and hotel and airline booking to activities planning and sightseeing tours. They are also specialists in all-inclusive holiday packages. Check out the company’s comprehensive web page, www.raynatours.com, to know how far the company has come from a single outlet.
RAYNA TOURS AND TRAVELS: MAIN TEAM
Manoj Tulsani
Manoj Tulsani is the co-founder and current CEO of Rayna Group. He did his schooling in his hometown in Rajasthan, India, and graduated in commerce from the University of Mumbai. Before starting Rayna Tours and Travels, Manoj was a marketing expert who worked in the trading industry from 1999 to 2006. He has been primarily responsible for transforming Rayna Tours and Travels over the past 1.5 decades into one of the UAE’s and India’s most esteemed and recognized travel companies.
Yasser Noman
Yasser Noman is Rayna Group’s Executive Chairman. He became part of the company after the merger of his venture, Arabian Explorers, with Rayna Tours in 2018. An industry stalwart with over 30 years of experience in the travel business, he holds a degree in Master of Tourism Management from the University of Florence, Tuscany. He has also completed several business-related programs from prestigious institutions like Hult Ashridge, London Business School, and Henley Business School.
Himanshu Laul
Himanshu Laul had held several leadership positions before joining Rayna Tours during one of the most challenging times in 2020 as the Director of Business Development. In his current capacity as the Managing Director of Rayna Group, he has largely been responsible for redefining Rayna Tours’ brand through creative and seamlessdigital innovations. Himanshu attended the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, where he earned his graduation in BArch (Bachelor in Architecture).
BACKGROUND: IT ALL STARTED WITH PASSION!
Rayna Tours and Travels’ founder, Manoj Tulsani, was passionate about travel and entrepreneurship right from the beginning. There was not a second thought when he decided to do something of his own, after working for about seven years in Dubai’s trading industry at Safeer Group of Companies and Time Machine Group of Companies.
Rayna Tours and Travels was thus born as a small travel outlet in the Flora Grand Hotel, Dubai. His decision proved correct when he and his friend, Kamlesh Ramchandani, identified a market opportunity, as back then the industry lacked proper sources that arranged activities, excursions, and tours for the hotel guests.
They built the venture from the ground up by pooling all their hard-earned personal savings. Though the concept was praiseworthy and struck the right cord with the customers, what awaited them were sleepless nights along with a burst of challenges and significant industry competitions.
STEPPING OFF THE CAREER AND VENTURING INTO A NEW INDUSTRY
The duowas somewhat at the peak of their career when they decided to start a new venture. Al though it was a tough decision for them to leave the comfort (of an established job) and security (of high salaries) behind, theynever doubted their instincts,even when they had to migrate to an entirely new (service) industry to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. According to Manoj, “It is a tough decision to choose between your career and passion. However, once you are willing to take the plunge for passion, what comes next may not be all rosy, but all efforts will undoubtedly be worthwhile when they result in tangible success.”
LEARNING THROUGH CHALLENGES AND PITFALLS
There were quite a lot of struggles in the beginning. It was a dicey task for them to run the business with insufficient funds and limited industry knowledge. The lack of a proper mentor (or a team)and the absence of a foolproof business plan added fuel to their early struggles. Regardless, they moved forward by integrating all their previous expertise and prudence to work out their business idea. Despite hard knocks in the form of tough competitions, they managed to steer clear of all the obstacles that came along their way bythoroughly analyzing every challenge and failure.
Not to mention, they gained their well-deserved success in a short span of time. Rayna Tours opened 15 plus outlets in the first two years of their launch and further carved a name for itself as the region’s top travel management company by 2009, with their main office at Dubai’s Abu Hail, inside the Old Labour Building. The company recently relocated to a more advanced, bigger facility within ACICO Business Park Building, in Deira, Dubai.
BUILDING AN EXTENSIVE SERVICE PORTFOLIO WITH DECISIVE INVESTMENTS
Once they made a name for themselves in the industry, their next move was to stand out in the scenario in every way possible. As the first step, Rayna Tours and Travels eliminated the intermediaries for the execution of the majority of their activities and excursions. They made extensive investments (in vehicles, cruise inventories, desert camps, etc.) to give a new dimension to their business model with the direct-to-consumer strategy.
Meanwhile, Rayna Tours made a strong presence on the web by creating their exclusive online platforms on both B2C and B2B domains: www.raynab2b.com and www.raynatours.com, apart from a vast spectrum of apps and deals programs. They together cater to every price point and serve as a reliable source for those who wish to plan the perfect holiday at their dream destination.
The company’s in-house technical facility, Technoheaven Consultancy, works on a 24/7 basis to ensure these websites’ and apps’ unprecedentedly efficient functioning.
SO, WHAT’S NEXT FOR RAYNA TOURS AND TRAVELS?
Rayna Tours and Travels has gone from two employees to more than 600 employees that collectively work in its head office and branches worldwide. The company has grown tremendously, so much so that it was chosen as the Best Destination Company and the Best B2B portal by Arabian Travel Awards in 2018. It also became the Best Partner for Dubai Parks and Resorts in 2017, besides achieving the coveted TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award consecutively in 2020 and 2021.
“With the demand for travel back in full swing,” Manoj says, “we anticipate a new wave of travel trends that will revolutionize and boost the industry. In fact, we look forward to strengthening our service portfolio and expect to establish our footprint in more destinations across the world.” As we wish Manoj and Rayna’s entire team the best, we hope this story has inspired you to take your brand or business idea to the next level.
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